I am a fully-licensed somatic clinical social worker based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Kalamazoo, Michigan. As a mindful communication coach and facilitator, I dedicate my practice to body-mind-community connections often lost through various forms of trauma and stress. In addition to my current work in private mental health practice and as an Assistant Professor at Augsburg University, I have worked in a variety of settings including K-12 schools, nonprofit counseling, and community-centered research. These experiences continue to guide my work with compassion, empathy, and humor.

My passion for relational healing first grew from a place where my own overlapping traumas needed tending, but I could not find spaces that spoke to my lived experiences and desire to reconnect to the younger parts of me who found refuge through art and nature. For years I believed that I could go it alone, often disrupting personal and professional relationships because I could not conceive of loving containers to hold my anxious and angry responses. Centered on creative resilience as resistance, Mosaic has become that refuge for myself and many others.

My vocational lineage combines both ancestral and contemporary practices including Womanist, Buddhist, and Indigenous wisdom traditions. I earned a PhD in Communication Studies at Wayne State University and a Master of Social Work degree at Eastern Michigan University. In recent years I have completed additional trainings through The Institute for Creative Mindfulness; The Embodiment Institute; Mindful Leader; and the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine. These learning experiences have informed my own workshops and educational programs dedicated to BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ inclusive wellness for educators and clinicians; relational mindfulness for couples and organizations; and creative responses to vicarious trauma for healing professionals.

Fun Facts: I am an unapologetic tree-hugger and (sometimes) morning person! In my spare time, I enjoy meditating, getting lost in the woods, making plant-based treats, reading, creating art, dancing to music that feeds my soul, and spending time with family and friends.